{"id":5023,"date":"2023-05-31T10:47:07","date_gmt":"2023-05-31T09:47:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.manchester.ac.uk\/humanities-blog\/?p=5023"},"modified":"2023-05-31T10:47:07","modified_gmt":"2023-05-31T09:47:07","slug":"choosing-right-university","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.manchester.ac.uk\/humanities-blog\/2023\/05\/31\/choosing-right-university\/","title":{"rendered":"How I Chose the Right University for Me"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Picking the right university can seem daunting. After all, there are so many choices and it\u2019s hard to know if the advertised courses will deliver what you want out of your degree. Plus, if you can\u2019t easily visit prospective schools, it\u2019s even harder to know if you\u2019ll enjoy living there in the first place. But no need to overstress! As a prospective student, you\u2019re likely already taking smart steps to whittle down your choices, and this blog shares more tips on how to choose the right university for you, based on my own experience choosing The University of Manchester.<\/p>\n

The Program<\/h2>\n

The main factor I was looking at in choosing a university was the academic program. I knew that my motivation for pursuing a master\u2019s degree in the first place was to continue studying some of the issues of global development that I enjoyed most while studying my undergraduate degree, such as global inequalities and the environmental impact of development. I also knew that since I didn\u2019t have a specific topic I wanted to focus on within development, I wanted a course that allowed me the freedom to choose a variety of electives. So, as I looked at different taught postgraduate courses, I took time to look through the course unit lists to see the required classes and types of electives available. The MSc International Development course at Manchester offered the types of classes I wanted to take, as well as the freedom to choose several electives out of them.
In addition to looking at the classes of prospective courses, I also researched the programs in which they were housed, such as the Global Development Institute (GDI) here at The University of Manchester. I was drawn to the GDI not only for the curriculum in the MSc course, but also because the faculty here conduct impactful research that both actively promotes social justice in the world and enriches the curriculum. For example, one of GDI\u2019s senior lecturers, Nicola Banks, co-founded a newly launched social enterprise called One World Together, which aims to directly channel development aid funding in a radical way to local and community-based organizations in the global South! Finally, besides the actionable research happening at Manchester, the input from my undergraduate professors \u2013 who recommended the curriculum and faculty at Manchester \u2013 was key.<\/p>\n

The Place<\/h2>\n

Even if your academic program is amazing, the vibe of the place in which you\u2019re studying matters just as much. This is why I put a lot of time into researching the cities of prospective schools. Besides looking at articles about Manchester, I relied on UniBuddy \u2013 an online platform where prospective university students can connect with current students and ask them about their experiences. I got a lot of insight into Manchester\u2019s atmosphere and \u2018liveability\u2019 through this, such as asking about Manchester\u2019s diversity, how urban the city is, how affordable it is, the political atmosphere, etc. As an international student who had never stepped foot in the UK before, this was invaluable in deciding whether Manchester was right for me.
And it turned out to be the right fit! I\u2019ve so enjoyed my academic program and living in this vibrant city. The University of Manchester may not be right for everyone, but by doing some serious research on the program and place, choosing the right university for you needn\u2019t be so stressful. Happy school-searching!<\/p>\n

Written by Lydia, current postgraduate student at The University of Manchester<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Contact Us<\/h4>\n

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+44 (0) 161 306 6000<\/p>\n

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Find Us<\/h4>\n

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The University of Manchester
Oxford Rd
Manchester
M13 9PL
UK<\/a><\/p>\n

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